Sound bar for mounting on a recreational land vehicle or watercraft

ABSTRACT

A sound bar having a mounting assembly configured to pivotally secure the bar. The sound bar includes an elongated, at least partially hollow, housing. The housing has a body extending between two opposing ends. A speaker array is positioned in the body. At least one speaker is positioned in at least one end of the bar. The end speaker(s) are preferably bass speakers in fluid communication with the hollow housing. A grill is preferably positioned over at least one of the housing ends. The grill preferably has a center hub affixed to an outer rim by spokes defining open spaces in the grill to facilitate the emission of sound. A mount is attached to the sound bar to secure the bar to a structure while allowing the bar to pivot along its longitudinal axis. Preferably, the mount is secured to the center hub of the grill.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to sound bars, and more specificallyto sound bars for mounting on recreational land vehicles or onrecreational marine vessels.

PRIOR ART

Successfully adopting a sound bar for attachment to various recreationalland vehicles, particularly off-road vehicles such as an ATV, dunebuggies and similar land vehicles, as well as marine vessels such as skiboats, off-shore recreational fishing boats, party barges and similarwatercraft, requires overcoming various problems unique to these landvehicles and watercraft. Because these land vehicles and watercraft aretraveling over bumpy terrain such as dusty or muddy trails or overchoppy water, the sound bar will undergo vigorous physical shaking andjolting requiring very secure attachment to the land vehicle orwatercraft, as well as being constructed to withstand significantmechanical impact. At the same time the sound bar electrical componentsmust remain both dustproof and watertight to prevent damage fromsplashed water, mud, rain or waves.

In addition because the sound bar will in many instances broadcast inopen air while the land vehicle or watercraft is moving and not in aclosed environment such as a home TV room. As a result it is difficultto achieve the desired directionality of the sound broadcast by thespeakers. This requires that the position and directionality of thespeakers be easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate changes in thelistening environment. In many cases this difficulty is compoundedbecause of the location where the sound bar must be mounted. Stillfurther, because much of the broadcasting is into large open spacesthere are many competing and uncontrollable sounds that interfere withthe quality of the broadcast sound. Also, if the land vehicle orwatercraft is moving during the broadcasting additional competing noisesare created by the land vehicle or watercraft and by the wind passingover the moving various parts of the land vehicle or watercraft. Thesound bar must be able to not only overcome these competing noises, butalso maintain a high perception of sound quality from the listeners. Asa result adjustments may be needed to the sound producing components.However in many instances, the position of the secured sound bar maymake manual adjustments of the sound producing components difficult.

A further problem with prior art sound bars is they do not mountmid-range and tweeter speakers in both the front and rear sides of thesound bar housing middle section. Nor do they mount bass speakers in theopposing end sections of the sound bar housing such that the broadcastsound can be directed outward from the ends and generally perpendicularto the direction of sound being emitted from the other speakers in thespeaker array assembly. Still further, prior art sound bars do notprovide mounting assemblies attached across the open ends of the housingend section that can enable the mounting assemblies to be rotated up to360 degrees after the sound bar has been mounted to a recreational landvehicle or watercraft.

Another problem is the difficulty in modifying the broadcast (e.g.,volume, sound source, etc.) during the operation of the land vehicle andwatercraft. This modification is made even more difficult at night whenthere may be limited light for the sound bar operator to make suchmodifications.

Attempts have been made to construct sound bars to be mounted to varioustypes of recreational vehicles and marine vessels. For example, thesound bar described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,469,254 is directed to a soundsystem for mounting on off-road land vehicles, such as ATVs,motorcycles, and watercraft. Although such prior art devices haveaddressed some of the prior art problems, there remains a need in theindustry for a positional and directional adjustable multi-range soundbar operational in the dust and wet conditions encountered by anoff-road vehicle or watercraft that can better reduce or eliminate theseprior art problems, as well as to control the functions of the soundbar.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention to provide a sound bar constructed to meetmechanical impact resistance standards that when secured to arecreational vehicle or watercraft can undergo vigorous shaking andjolting without becoming damaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sound bar havingelectrical and electronic components that are sealed to limit oreliminate dust ingress and water ingress within the sound bar to theextent not to damage or interfere with the functions of the speakers ortheir controls.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mounting systemfor the sound bar, including its broadcasting components, that caneasily and quickly be adjusted to provide the desired position anddirectionality of the speakers, as well as to change or modify thedifferent functions of the sound bar and to sufficiently overcomeextraneous noise to produce an acceptable sound quality for thelisteners.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting system for thesound bar permitting the sound bar to be rotated and affixed at anypoint in the 360° rotation about the longitudinal axis of the sound bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sound bar mountingassemblies positioned at opposite ends of the sound bar and constructednot to interfere with the quality of the sound being broadcast from theopposite ends of the sound bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sound bar thatincludes a lighting assembly while maintaining the desired dust andwater ingress prevention standards desired.

A still further objective of the invention is to provide a sound barcontrol module that is hardwired to a control panel affixed to the soundbar housing, or is RF and/or Bluetooth enabled to communicate with acontrol panel affixed to the vehicle or watercraft or control panelwhich is handheld, and is RF and Bluetooth enabled to communicate with asmart phone app speaker control panel providing control signals tooperate the speakers and lights of the sound bar.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeobvious from the drawings and written description of the preferredembodiments of the invention set forth below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a sound bar for attachment to a recreational vehicle orwatercraft comprising an elongated hollow housing having a generallycircular or polygon cross-section along a central longitudinal axis, andincluding a first end section and an opposite second end sectionseparated by a middle section; the sections forming an interiorpassageway sized to contain (i) a first array assembly of mid-range andtweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound ina direction outward from the central longitudinal axis, (ii) a firstbass speaker unit positioned in the first end section to emit soundoutward from a first end opening of the first section of the housing ina first direction generally along the central longitudinal axis, and(iii) a second bass speaker unit positioned in the second end section toemit sound outward from a second end opening of the second section ofthe housing in a second direction generally along the centrallongitudinal axis and opposite the first direction; a first grill memberattached to the first end section and extending over the first endopening, the first grill member constructed having a center hub areaaffixed to an outer perimeter section of the first grill member byspokes defining open spaces in the first grill member to permit sound toemit from the first bass speaker unit and out of the first end opening;and a second grill member attached to the second end section andextending over the second end opening, the second grill memberconstructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimetersection of the second grill member by spokes defining open spaces in thesecond grill member to permit sound to emit from the second bass speakerunit and out of the second end opening. In a preferred embodiment thesound bar further includes a second array assembly having mid-range andtweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound ina direction outward from the central longitudinal axis and opposite fromthe direction of sound emitted by the first array assembly.

In another preferred embodiment the sound bar further includes a firstring of lights affixed to an inside surface of the first center hub areaand operatively connectable to a power source, as well as a LED lightingstrip operatively affixed to housing outer surface.

In another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes a mounting stripoperatively mounted to the exterior housing surface area and whichincludes a blind insert assembly having an insert threaded bothinternally and externally for attaching the mounting strip to thehousing wall and for attaching the sound bar to a recreational vehicleor watercraft. In another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes afirst generally L-shaped leg member rotatable affixed to the firstcenter hub area and a second generally L-shaped leg member rotatableaffixed to the second center hub area; each L-shaped leg membercomprising an elongated plate member having a hub receiving areapositioned at a top end section of the elongated plate member, shaped toaffix to its corresponding center hub area and having a shorter platemember affixed generally perpendicularly to the bottom end section ofthe elongated plate member. It is preferred that each of the center hubareas comprises a centrally located threaded opening surrounded by araised shoulder having an upper surface formed having a ring of ridgesseparated a predetermined distance; each of the hub receiving areascomprises a centrally located opening surrounded by a first ring ofridges separated by the predetermined distance; and a bolt for each ofthe center hub areas sized to extend through the centrally locatedopening and into the centrally located threaded opening to operativelyaffix the hub receiving area to the center hub area when the bolt isscrewed into the centrally located threaded opening.

In yet another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes a controlmodule operatively attachable to a power source, the control module alsobeing operatively connected to the speaker units to control the volumeof sound emitted by the speaker units, the control module having RF andBluetooth enabled electronic components to receive operating signalsfrom a remote control panel. It is preferred the RF and Bluetoothenabled electronic components transmit information signals to the remotecontrol panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-4 are front view, rear view, bottom view and top view,respectively, of one preferred embodiment of the sound bar of thisinvention having a bass speaker in each end section of the housing andfour arrays of mid-range and tweeter speakers in the middle section ofthe housing.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines I-I of FIG. 1illustrating the positioning of the speakers and other electroniccomponents within the housing cavity.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines II-II of FIG. 4illustrating the positioning of the speakers and other electroniccomponents within the housing cavity.

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded view of FIG. 1 illustrating one speakerarray extended from the housing and one mounting assembly exploded fromone of the end sections of the housing and modified to illustrateadditional sockets to plug other devices to the sound bar andillustrating a different position for the power connection.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the end housing grill illustrating its spokesextending from a center hub section to the outer perimeter section toform openings for sound emitting from the base speaker to be broadcastthrough the grill, as well as illustrating the series of locking ridgessurrounding the threaded bolt opening centered in the grill hub section.

FIG. 9 is a three-quarter perspective view of the front surface of theL-shaped attachment member illustrating the upper bolt openingsurrounded by a series of locking ridges that can mate in lockingfashion with the grill hub section, as well as illustrating the shortleg extending substantially perpendicular from the long leg of theattachment member and having a bolt opening for use in attaching thesound bar to the off-road vehicle or recreational watercraft.

FIG. 10 is a three-quarter perspective view of the back surface of theL-shaped attachment member illustrating the upper bolt openingsurrounded by another series of locking ridges that can mate in lockingfashion with the grill hub section.

FIGS. 11-13 are partial cross-section views illustrating the blindinserts utilized to achieve a dust proof and watertight seal utilized tosecure the attaching rail to the sound bar housing.

FIG. 14 is an exploded three-quarter top view of an end section of thesound bar housing illustrating the attachment of a bass speaker to sealthe end section opening.

FIG. 15 is an exploded reverse view of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a three-quarter view of the rear side of the speaker grillhaving a LED light strip mounted to the center hub area.

FIG. 17 is three-quarter front perspective view of an alternate speakerarray for use when all of the speaker arrays face in the same direction,as well as an alternate strap assembly for affixing the attachmentmembers to the sound bar housing.

FIG. 18 is a three-quarter front view of an alternate speaker arrayassembly having a mid-range/tweeter speaker array design andillustrating an alternate positioning of the hard wired control paneloperating function control buttons.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the remote, dashboard attached device fortransmitting RF signals to the controller module used to operate thespeakers and lighting.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the remote, handheld device for transmittingRF signals to the controller module used to operate the speakers andlighting.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7, in the preferred embodiments, a sound bar 1for attachment to a recreational land vehicle or watercraft is disclosedincluding an elongated hollow housing 2, preferably having a generallycircular or polygonal cross-section. The housing 2 includes a first endsection 3 and an opposite second end section 4 separated by a middlesection 5. These three housing sections 3, 4 and 5 form an interiorpassageway 6 having a central longitudinal axis 7 extending through thecenter of opposing end openings 8, 9 of passageway 6. Passage way 6 issized to permit a first bass speaker unit 10 to be positioned in endopening 8 and affixed to housing 2 in a manner to seal opening 8 withthe bass speaker diaphragm or face 11 facing outward along axis 7.Similarly, passageway 6 is sized to permit second bass speaker unit 12to be positioned in end opening 9 and affixed to housing 2 in a mannerto seal end opening 9 with the bass speaker diaphragm or face 13 facingoutward along axis 7 and in a direction opposite bass speaker face 11.

The housing middle section 5 is provided with one or more openings 14 toaccommodate positioning a speaker array assembly 15. Speaker arrayassembly 15 includes a face plate 16 sized to fit over opening 14 and besealing attached thereto by a series of screws 17. In a preferredembodiment the housing outer surface 18 will be constructed of acompressible material to form a watertight and dust proof seal betweenhousing outer surface 18 and face plate 16.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, affixed to the interior surface 19 of faceplate 16 is a mid-range speaker unit 20 and a tweeter speaker unit 21whose faces 22, 23, respectively, are positioned to direct sound outwardof housing 2 through openings 24, 25, respectively, in face plate 16.

It is preferred that each middle section speaker array assembly 15include one or more mid-range speaker units 20 having a frequency rangeof 250-3,000 megahertz, and a tweeter speaker unit 21 having a frequencyrange of 3,000-20,000 megahertz. It is preferred the bass speaker units10, 12 positioned in the opposing housing end sections 3, 4,respectively, will each have a frequency range of 37-250 megahertz,preferably 70-250 megahertz.

Positioning the bass speaker units 10, 12 in the opposing end sections3, 4, respectively, increases the volume of air that will be compressedwithin the housing passageway 6 by the operation of the bass speakers10, 12. This decreases the pressure on the housing internal wallsurfaces 26 and permits the construction of a lighter housing 2.However, in this configuration it is preferred that the rear area 27 ofthe mid-range speaker units 22 be housed within a covering cap 28 tominimize interference by the back pressure of the operating bass speakerunits 10, 12 positioned in the end sections 3, 4, respectively, of thesound bar housing 2. In a preferred embodiment the diameter of the bassspeaker units 10, 12 is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of thehousing 2 to facilitate obtaining a proper dust proof and watertightseal between the housing interior wall surface 26 and the outerperimeter wall surfaces 29, 30 of the bass speaker units 10, 12.

National standards have been established to indicate the degree ofsealing against dust and similar solid particles, as well as sealingagainst water ingress into a product. In addition there are nationalstandards relating to the mechanical impact resistance of a product. Onesuch standard is the IEC standard 60529. Utilizing this standard it isdesired the sound bar 1 of this invention have a solid particle ratingof 4, preferably a rating of 5, and most preferably a rating of 6. It isfurther desired the sound bar 1 of this invention have a water ingressrating of 4, preferably a rating of 5 and more preferably a rating of 7.It is also desired that the sound bar 1 have a mechanical impactresistance rating of 5, preferably a rating of 7, and most preferably arating of 9, particularly, if the sound bar 1 is to be mounted on an ATVor similar off-road vehicle.

The number and combination of tweeter speaker units 21 and mid-rangespeaker units 22 in an array assembly 15 may vary. The number of arrayassemblies 15 depends on the combination of speakers in each arrayassembly 15, the overall size of the sound bar 1 (as dictated by theland vehicle or watercraft in which the sound bar 1 is to be mounted)and the size of the selected tweeter and mid-range speaker units. Foruse in an off-road vehicle or recreational watercraft, it has been foundin each array assembly 15 the use of one or two mid-range speaker units22 to each tweeter speaker unit 21 provides a desired sound quality andvolume when two to four array assemblies 15 are utilized. If the arrayassemblies 15 are to be positioned with each speaker unit facing in thesame direction from the central longitudinal axis 7, then, asillustrated in FIG. 17, it preferred that two array assemblies be usedhaving a “mid-range/tweeter/mid-range” configuration. On the other hand,if the array assemblies 15 are to be positioned to provide soundemanating from both the front and rear sides of the housing middlesection 5, then it is preferred that four array assemblies 15 be usedwith each having a “mid-range/tweeter” configuration. In this latterembodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the opposing arrayassemblies 15 are configured whereby the back of mid-range speaker unit20 in one speaker array faces the back of the tweeter speaker unit 21 inthe opposing array assembly. This configuration permits the housing 2 tobe constructed having a smaller and more compact diameter while stillproviding sufficient space in the housing passageway 6 for othercomponents, such as an electronic controller and its associated wiring(not shown), necessary to operatively connect to and control thefunction of the speaker units and any LED lighting assemblies, as wellas to operatively connect to an external power source 82.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, the sound bar 1 further comprises two mountingassemblies 31, 32 to attach the sound bar 1 to the recreational vehicleor watercraft. Each assembly 31, 32 includes a grill member 33 attachedto the housing 2 forming a sealing arrangement about the perimeter 34 ofone of the end sections 3, 4, respectively, of housing 2 and extendingover the housing end section opening 8, 9, respectively. The grillmember 33 is further constructed having a center hub area 35 affixed toan outer perimeter section 36 of the grill member 33 by spokes 37defining open spaces 37 in the grill member 33 to permit the bass soundto emanate from the bass speaker unit 10, 12 and broadcast out of theend opening 8, 9, respectively. Each of assembly 31, 32 also includes agenerally L-shaped mounting member 39 that is attachable to the centerhub area 35. To achieve the desired 360 degree rotation of the sound bar1 when it is mounted to the recreational vehicle or watercraft, thecenter hub area 35 includes a circular section 40 having a threadedcentral opening 41 surrounded by a series of separated ridges 42. Thelonger leg 43 forming the L-shaped mounting member 39 is provided at itstop end section 44 with a corresponding circular section 45 having inone face 46 a central opening 47 surrounded by a series of separatedridges 48 that are shaped and positioned to securely fit into theseparated ridges 42 of the center hub area 35 when a bolt 49 is passedthrough opening 47 and treaded into the treaded central opening 41. In apreferred embodiment the opposite face 50 of the longer leg circularsection 45 also has a series of similar separated ridges 51 that cansecurely fit into the separated ridges 42 of the center hub area 35 whenthe longer leg is rotated 180 degrees. The shorter leg 52 forming theL-shaped mounting member 39 extends generally perpendicular from thebottom end section 53 of the longer leg 43 and is provided with a boltopening 54 to accommodate a bolt 55 used to pass through opening 54 andscrew into an opening on a vehicle or watercraft frame member (notshown) where it can be bolted to tighten the shorter leg 52 to the framemember. The second mounting assembly 32 is similarly constructed andattached to the other housing end section 4 and extending over the otherhousing end section opening 9. Each mounting assembly 31 and 32 can beattached to its respective hub area 35 with the shorter leg 52 extendingoutward from housing 2 or extending underneath the housing bottomsurface, thus, providing additional flexibility in attaching sound bar 1to the vehicle or watercraft.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 7, in circumstances that do notrequire the sound bar 1 to be rotatable about its central horizontalaxis 7 an alternate mounting assembly 57 may be utilized. Thisembodiment includes a rail member 58 affixed to the sound bar housing 2.Rail member 58 includes a series of spaced apart bolt openings 59. Thespaced apart bolt openings 59 can be utilized to attach the railing 58to the housing exterior surface or to attach accessories to the top ofrail 58. Affixed below each opening 59, as illustrated in FIGS. 11-13,are blind insert assemblies 60 that permit a dust proof and watertightseal to be formed when the railing 58 it used to attach to the vehicleor watercraft or to attach accessories to the top of rail 58. Each blindinsert assembly 60 includes a double threaded insert 61 having a headmember 61A and internally and exteriorly threaded shaft 61B extendingdownward from head member 61A. Head member 61A is positioned betweenrail member 58 and housing outer surface 18 with insert shaft 61Bextending through housing surface 18 and into passageway 6. Extendingabout the external threads 64 is spacer 62 shaped and positioned tocontact the housing interior wall surface 26 when nut 63 is screwed onexternal threads 61C to affix insert assembly 60 to housing 2. Whenattaching bolt 65 is extended through the attaching surface of thevehicle or watercraft (not shown), then through rail member opening 60and screwed on the insert internal threads 66 and tightened withexternal nut 67, rail member 58 is pressed against insert head 61A toform a watertight and dust proof seal.

In a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14, housing end section 3includes a support ring 68 extending across passage way end opening 8 toprovide a seat 69 to which (by screws or other known attaching devices)bass speaker assembly 10 may be affixed. Outer rim 70 of bass speakerface 11 is shaped to form a watertight and dust proof seal with theinterior housing surface 26. In one embodiment this seal is achieved bytightening screws 90 that extend through aligned grill member openings91, outer rim openings 92 and then into support ring openings 93. Inanother preferred embodiment control module 81 is operatively connectedby wiring (not shown) to electronic connector 71 that is affixed tosupport ring 68 and aligned with opening 72 in outer rim 70 to permitcontrol module to provide power and operating control of any LED lightstrip that may be positioned on mounting grill member 33.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-16, grill member 33 has a LED light strip 73affixed on the interior surface 74 of grill member center hub area 35.LED light strip 73 has electronic control connector 75 positioned to beaffixed to electronic connector 71 shown in FIG. 14. Thus control module81 can provide the necessary power and control to operate LED lightstrip 73.

In an alternate preferred embodiment LED light strip 76 may bepositioned on housing outer surface 18 such as illustrated in FIG. 3. Inanother preferred embodiment LED light strips may be positioned toprovide light on manual operating controls 78 utilized to operate thespeakers or lighting such as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 17-18.

Referring to FIGS. 17-18 alternate speaker array assemblies areillustrated. In FIG. 17 each array assembly 79 includes a tweeterspeaker unit 21 surrounded by two mid-range speaker units 22. In analternate embodiment, additional similar speaker array assemblies 79could be positioned on the opposite side opposing the front speakerarray assemblies. In FIG. 18 there are four array assemblies similar tothose shown in FIGS. 1-4. In an alternate embodiment a similar series ofarray assemblies could be positioned on the rear side of housing 2 so asto oppose the front side array assemblies in a manner similar to thearray assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. However, in all alternativepositions the bass speaker units 10, 12 are affixed in the housing endsections 3 and 4, respectively.

The controller module 81, and in turn speaker units 10-11 and 20-21, LEDlighting strips 73, 76, are operatively attached to a power source (notshown), such as the battery of the land vehicle or watercraft. In apreferred embodiment the sound bar 1 is also provided with electricalconnections 82 to permit the controller module 81 to be operativelyattached to an external power source that may be located on a pier or ata camp where the watercraft is docked or where the land vehicle isparked.

In another novel feature of this invention control of sound bar 1 isachieved by three independent control devices that permit control of thesound bar 1 regardless of the environmental and/or physical constraintsmight be present when sound bar 1 is used with a recreational vehicle orwatercraft.

The first control panel system 83 (see FIGS. 1, 17-18) are manualfunction control buttons 78 hardwired to controller module 81 andpositioned on housing 2. The utility of this control panel system 83depends in large part where the sound bar 1 must be attached to therecreational vehicle or watercraft.

The second control panel system 84 (see FIG. 19) is mountable on therecreational vehicle or watercraft. In this system both the speaker andlights controller module 81 and the control panel system 84 areconstructed to communicate utilizing conventional RF and Bluetoothremote control electronics. Because of its small size and the ability tocommunicate by RF and

Bluetooth remote control electronics, the control panel system 84 can bemounted in more convenient places than control system 83. In analternate embodiment multiple control panel systems 84 because theycommunicate independently with controller module 81 can be mounted invarious locations on the recreational vehicle or watercraft providingeven additional flexibility and control of the sound and lights of thesound bar 1.

The third control panel system 85 is a handheld RF, Bluetooth equippedremote controller or a smart phone in which a control app has beendownloaded having the capabilities of transmitting desired functioncontrol signals to the controller module 81. In addition control panelsystem 85 is programmed to both transmit operating function controlsignals to controller module 81, but also to receive desired informationfrom controller module 81. Controller systems 84 and 85 will each havemultiple function control buttons 86 to control the sound sourceselection, sound volume, LED lights, and any other device that may beoperatively attached to plugs 88 that are operatively connected tocontrol module 81. In an alternative embodiment it may be provided withscreen 87 to display information related to the operation of controller84 or 85, or any other desired information.

In another preferred embodiment the electronic controller module 81 ismounted within the housing passageway 6 and operatively attached to thespeaker units and any LED lighting strips that have been incorporated inthe sound bar 1. The controller module 81 is designed to receive controlsignals from a keypad panel having operating function control buttons 83affixed to the external surface 26 of the housing 2. The controllermodule 81 is further designed to receive RF control signals from aremote device that is mounted to the land vehicle or watercraft or ishandheld. In an alternate preferred embodiment the remote device, suchas control panel systems 84 and 85, may be Bluetooth enabled in order tohave two-way communications with the controller module 81. Still furtherthe controller module 81 is designed to receive Bluetooth controlsignals from a smart phone app and to communicate back to the smartphone app or remote device that it has received and executed the desiredinstructions. Messages from the controller module 81 may be displayed ona screen 87 or otherwise viewed. This controller module 81 combinationprovides significant benefits to the ATV/watercraft sound bar. Becauseof the limited mounting positions the sound bar 1 may be affixed to theATV or watercraft in positions where it is difficult to reach manualcontrol buttons 83 located on the sound bar housing 2. In thesesituations the smart phone app and the remote RF/Bluetooth devicesprovide alternate means to operate the sound and light controls of thesound bar 1. However, in severe weather or where the ATV or watercraftis traveling through rough water or muddy terrain the risk that theoperator may drop and/or damage a smart phone, the relativelyinexpensive remote device 85 allows the operator to safely store thecell phone and still operate the sound bar 1 by the remote device 85.

When the sound bar 1 is to be used in low light or dark conditions it ispreferable that the sound bar 1 also be operatively equipped withlighting strips, such as LED lighting strips 73, operatively attached tothe power source. These lighting strips can be positioned on theexterior surface 26 of the housing 2, and, if desired, also within thehub 35 of the grill members 33. In these positions the lighting stripscan provide light as a decorative feature or to illuminate the speakercontrols positioned on the exterior surface of the housing. The lightingstrips (preferably LED strips) are operatively connected to the controlmodule 81. If the lighting strips are hardwired directly to thecontroller module 81, then the wiring at the point of entering thehousing passageway 6 are sealed by known means to maintain the dustproof and watertight construction. It is preferred to use a connector toa known PCB arrangement that allows for complete waterproofing and lessmess. One such known arrangement utilizes spring loaded pins to maintainthe connection. Another such arrangement would include plug and socketconnecters.

The invention further includes a method of installing a sound bar 1 andmounting assembly 31 to a structure comprising selecting a structure towhich the sound bar 1 is to be attached; loosely affixing with threadedbolt 49 a L-shaped mounting member 39 to a first housing end grillmember 33; loosely affixing a second L-shaped mounting member 39 to asecond housing end grill member 33; affixing the first L-shaped mountingmember 39 to the structure; affixing the second L-shaped mounting member39 to the structure; rotating the housing 2 about its horizontal axis 7to a desired position; tightening the first L-shaped mounting member 39to the first housing end grill member 33 an amount necessary to preventfurther rotation of the housing 2; and tightening the second L-shapedmounting member 39 to the second housing end grill member 33 an amountnecessary to secure the housing 2 to the L-shaped mounting member 39 andprevent further rotation of the housing 2.

What I claim is:
 1. A sound bar for attachment to a recreational vehicleor watercraft comprising: a. an elongated hollow housing including afirst end section and an opposite second end section separated by amiddle section; the sections forming a closed interior passageway havinga generally circular or polygon cross-section along a centrallongitudinal axis, and sized to contain (i) a first array assembly ofmid-range and tweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section toemit sound in a direction outward from the central longitudinal axis,the mid-range speaker units housed within a covering cap, (ii) a firstbass speaker unit positioned in the first end section to emit soundoutward from a first end opening of the first section of the housing ina first direction generally along the central longitudinal axis, thefirst bass speaker unit creating a first back pressure transmitted alongthe central longitudinal axis opposite the first direction, and (iii) asecond bass speaker unit positioned in the second end section to emitsound outward from a second end opening of the second section of thehousing in a second direction generally along the central longitudinalaxis and opposite the first direction, the second bass speaker unitcreating a second back pressure transmitted along the centrallongitudinal axis and opposite the second direction so as to contact thefirst back pressure to reduce the internal pressure within the closedinterior passageway; b. a first grill member attached to the first endsection and extending over the first end opening, the first grill memberconstructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimetersection of the first grill member by spokes defining open spaces in thefirst grill member to permit sound to emit from the first bass speakerunit and out of the first end opening; and c. a second grill memberattached to the second end section and extending over the second endopening, the second grill member constructed having a center hub areaaffixed to an outer perimeter section of the second grill member byspokes defining open spaces in the second grill member to permit soundto emit from the second bass speaker unit and out of the second endopening.
 2. The sound bar of claim 1 further comprising a first ring oflights affixed to an inside surface of the first center hub area andoperatively connectable to a power source.
 3. The sound bar of claim 1further comprising a second array assembly having mid-range and tweeterspeaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound in adirection outward from the central longitudinal axis and opposite fromthe direction of sound emitted by the first array assembly.
 4. The soundbar of claim 3 wherein the tweeter speaker units of the second arrayassembly are positioned behind the mid-range speaker units of the firstarray assembly, and the mid-range speaker units of the second arrayassembly are positioned behind the tweeter speaker units of the firstarray assembly.
 5. The sound bar of claim 4 further comprising a lightstrip operatively mounted to a first exterior surface area of thehousing positioned between the first array assembly and second arrayassembly of speaker units and operatively connectable to a power source.6. The sound bar of claim 5 further comprising a mounting stripoperatively affixed to a second exterior surface area of the housingopposite the first exterior surface area and positioned between thefirst array assembly and second array assembly of speaker units.
 7. Thesound bar of claim 4 further comprising a mounting strip operativelymounted to an exterior surface area of the housing between the firstarray assembly and second array assembly of speaker units.
 8. The soundbar of claim 7 wherein the mounting strip comprises an elongated railmember containing at least one blind insert assembly having an insertmember threaded both internally and externally for attaching themounting strip to the housing and for attaching an accessory member tothe sound bar and for attaching the sound bar to a recreational vehicleor watercraft.
 9. A sound bar for attachment to a recreational vehicleor watercraft comprising: a. an elongated hollow housing including afirst end section and an opposite second end section separated by amiddle section; the sections forming an interior passageway having agenerally circular or polygon cross-section along a central longitudinalaxis, and sized to contain (i) a first array assembly of mid-range andtweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound ina direction outward from the central longitudinal axis, (ii) a firstbass speaker unit positioned in the first end section to emit soundoutward from a first end opening of the first section of the housing ina first direction generally along the central longitudinal axis, and(iii) a second bass speaker unit positioned in the second end section toemit sound outward from a second end opening of the second section ofthe housing in a second direction generally along the centrallongitudinal axis and opposite the first direction; b. a first grillmember attached to the first end section and extending over the firstend opening, the first grill member constructed having a center hub areaaffixed to an outer perimeter section of the first grill member byspokes defining open spaces in the first grill member to permit sound toemit from the first bass speaker unit and out of the first end opening;and c. a second grill member attached to the second end section andextending over the second end opening, the second grill memberconstructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimetersection of the second grill member by spokes defining open spaces in thesecond grill member to permit sound to emit from the second bass speakerunit and out of the second end opening; and d. a first generallyL-shaped leg member rotatable affixed to the first center hub area and asecond generally L-shaped leg member rotatable affixed to the secondcenter hub area; each L-shaped leg member comprising an elongated platemember having a hub receiving area positioned at a top end section ofthe elongated plate member, shaped to affix to its corresponding centerhub area and having a shorter plate member affixed generallyperpendicularly to the bottom end section of the elongated plate member.10. The sound bar of claim 9 wherein a. each of the center hub areascomprises a centrally located threaded opening surrounded by a raisedshoulder having an upper surface formed having a ring of ridgesseparated a predetermined distance; b. each of the hub receiving areascomprises a centrally located opening surrounded by a first ring ofridges separated by the predetermined distance; and c. a bolt for eachof the center hub areas sized to extend through the centrally locatedopening and into the centrally located threaded opening to operativelyaffix the hub receiving area to the center hub area when the bolt isscrewed into the centrally located threaded opening.
 11. The sound barof claim 9 wherein a second ring of ridges separated by thepredetermined distance surrounds the centrally located opening oppositethe first ring of ridges.
 12. The sound bar according to claim 1 furthercomprising a control module operatively attachable to a power source,the control module operatively connected to the speaker units to controlthe volume of sound emitted by the speaker units, the control modulehaving RF and Bluetooth enabled electronic components to receiveoperating signals from a remote control panel.
 13. The sound bar ofclaim 12 wherein the RF and Bluetooth enabled electronic componentstransmit information signals to the remote control panels.
 14. A soundbar for attachment to a recreational vehicle or watercraft comprising anelongated hollow housing including a first end section and an oppositesecond end section separated by a middle section; the sections formingclosed interior passageway having a generally circular or polygoncross-section along a central longitudinal axis, and sized to contain(i) a first array assembly of mid-range and tweeter speaker unitspositioned in the middle section to emit sound in a direction outwardfrom the central longitudinal axis, the mid-range speaker units of thefirst array assembly housed within a covering cap (ii) a first bassspeaker unit positioned in the first end section to emit sound outwardfrom a first end opening of the first section of the housing in a firstdirection generally along the central longitudinal axis, the first bassspeaker unit creating a first back pressure transmitted along thecentral longitudinal axis opposite the first direction, and (iii) asecond bass speaker unit positioned in the second end section to emitsound outward from a second end opening of the second section of thehousing in a second direction generally along the central longitudinalaxis and opposite the first direction, the second bass speaker unitcreating a second back pressure transmitted along the centrallongitudinal axis and opposite the second direction so as to contact thefirst back pressure to reduce the internal pressure within the closedinterior passageway.
 15. The sound bar of claim 14 further comprising asecond array assembly having mid-range and tweeter speaker unitspositioned in the middle section to emit sound in a direction outwardfrom the central longitudinal axis and opposite from the direction ofsound emitted by the first array assembly, the mid-range speaker unitsof the second array assembly housed within a covering cap.
 16. The soundbar of claim 15 wherein the tweeter speaker units of the second arrayassembly are positioned behind the mid-range speaker units of the firstarray assembly, and the mid-range speaker units of the second arrayassembly are positioned behind the tweeter speaker units of the firstarray assembly.
 17. The sound bar of claim 14 further comprising anelongated mounting strip operatively affixed to a second exteriorsurface area of the housing between the first bass speaker unit and thesecond bass speaker unit, the elongated mounting strip comprising anelongated rail member containing at least one blind insert assemblyhaving an insert member threaded both internally and externally forattaching the mounting strip to the housing and for attaching anaccessory member to the sound bar and for attaching the sound bar to arecreational vehicle or watercraft.
 18. The sound bar of claim 14further comprising a first grill member attached to the first endsection and extending over the first end opening, the first grill memberconstructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimetersection of the first grill member by spokes defining open spaces in thefirst grill member to permit sound to emit from the first bass speakerunit and out of the first end opening; and a second grill memberattached to the second end section and extending over the second endopening, the second grill member constructed having a center hub areaaffixed to an outer perimeter section of the second grill member byspokes defining open spaces in the second grill member to permit soundto emit from the second bass speaker unit and out of the second endopening.
 19. The sound bar according to claim 14 further comprising acontrol module operatively attachable to a power source, the controlmodule operatively connected to the speaker units to control the volumeof sound emitted by the speaker units, the control module having RF andBluetooth enabled electronic components to receive operating signalsfrom a remote control panel and wherein the RF and Bluetooth enableelectronic components transmit information signals to the remote controlpanels.